School Profile & History

Established in 1971, Henry J. Kaiser High School (Kaiser) is a four-year comprehensive high school, located in the East Honolulu suburb, Hawaii Kai. The community served is primarily upper-middle class, with approximately 46% of the adults achieving college-level education. Per capita income and home ownership are the second highest in the state.

Kaiser High leads the Kaiser Complex, serving students from Niu Valley Middle and four elementary schools: Aina Haina, Hahaione, Kamiloiki, and Koko Head. Students also served attend Kaiser on a Geographic Exception because they live beyond school boundaries and wish to benefit from its unique academic programs. The Kaiser Complex vision is “A World-CLASS Education for All: Commitment, Leadership, Achievement, Stewardship, Service.” All Kaiser Complex schools continue to work together to earn World School status by developing International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes as well as a Kaiser Complex WASC Accreditation.

Kaiser High’s “Four Pillars” are

(1) The Academic Program, which is rigorous, challenging, and gives all students opportunities to exceed the State Promotion Requirements. All students entering Grades 9 and 10 are programmatically placed into the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), thus completing the five-year MYP begun at Niu Valley Middle School. Kaiser High is Hawaii’s first and only public high school authorized to deliver all three of the IB Programmes: Diploma, Career-related, and Middle Years. The Academic Program includes AVID (Nationally Certified), robust Advanced Placement offerings, Air Force JROTC, the Media Communications Learning Center, and CTE.

(2) Extra- and CoCurricular: Kaiser has 27 organizations advised by faculty, considered as exemplary for a school of its size. Students compete in extracurricular Academics, Mathematics, Film, Newscasting, Newswriting, Yearbook, Science, Speech, Robotics, and Music. Kaiser High is a member of the Oahu Interscholastic Association and fields athletic teams in all sports.

(3) Facilities: Academic programs are supported by general and specialized classrooms, educational technology, and campus-wide wireless. Athletic facilities meet specifications to host OIA and state events. Construction is near completion on a building for girls’ athletic lockers, athletic treatment center, Improvements to the Track and Field have been completed.

(4) Parent and Community Involvement: Kaiser is supported by the Kaiser School Community Council, Friends of Kaiser PTSA, KHS Foundation, Kaiser Athletics Foundation, and Booster Organizations. They conduct activities and provide funding to enhance Learning. A Parent-Community Networking Coordinator strengthens this “Pillar.”

Kaiser High is the only school in Hawaii that is authorized to offer all three IB Programmes. The IB extended Kaiser’s DP authorization another five years and issued a new CP authorization. Self-study for the MYP is underway for SY 2018. WASC issued a Certificate of Accreditation to 2019.

A Little Bit of History

Henry J. Kaiser, son of German immigrants Franz and Anna Marie Kaiser was a self-made tycoon. Before he reached the shores of Hawaiʻi in 1955, he already was the founder Shipyards, Kaiser Hospital, a motor company and a credit union.

Kaiser built the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, now known as the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort, and used bright pink jeeps as resort transportation. He is credited for developing the detective series, "Hawaiian Eye" to Hawaiʻi. Allthough it was filmed in Burbank, he used Kaiser Hawaiian Village hotel as the backdrop for his productions.

A real-estate magnate, Henry J. Kaiser founded Hawaii-Kai in East ʻOahu after obtaining a lease agreement with then land owner, Bernice Puahi Bishop Estate in 1961. Henry J. Kaiser High School was founded in 1971. There are two other schools that hold his namesake, Henry J. Kaiser High in Fontana, California and Henry J. Kaiser Elementary School in the Jackson County School District of West Virginia.

As Kaiser High School was developing, our first Athletic Director Ted Fukushima knew the importance of having school colors and a mascot. Here is an excerpt of former classmate James

"We had to vote on our school colors and name. We were in the 9th grade, the year before Kaiser opened. I was pushing for Blue and Gold because I was a big Punahou fan growing up. My classmate Derwin Doi was pushing for Pink, White and Black because we all knew that pink was Mr. Kaiserʻs favorite color. Our nickname choices were between Cougars and Panthers. Our Alma Mater was written by our classmate Cindy Hutton if I remember correctly. Blue and Gold won by a landslide, I can't remember the tally for our nickname."